Sealing and ejecting apparatus for



July 16, 1946. 'c. D. RYAN 2,404,193

' SEALING AND EJECTING APPARATUS FOR MAIL TREATING MACHINES I Original; Filed April 29, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet l amen W0 5 COYMmOLiOIe 17. Ryaw C. D. RYAN July 16,1946.

SEALING AND EJECTING APPARATUS FOR MAIL TREATING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Shet 2 Original Filed April 29, 1940 Commodore ,D- Ryan atlor'neys July 16, 1946. 2,404,193

SEALING AND EJECTING APPARATUS FOR MAIL TREATING MACHINES C. D. RYAN Original Filed April 29, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 c. D. RYAN 2,404,193

SEALING .AND EJECTING APPARATUS FOR MAIL TREATING MACHINES July 16, 1946.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed April .29, 1940 (Maw Cummod'orel).

Patented July 16, 1946 SEALING AND EJECTING APPARATUS FOR MAIL TREATING DIACHINES Commodore D. Ryan, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor ,to Commercial Controls Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application October 16, 1942, Serial No. 462,262, which is a division of application Serial No. 421,321, December 2, 1941, which is a division of application Serial No. 332,305, April 29, 1940. Divided and this application September 1, 1943,

Serial No. 500,755.

8 Claims.

' This invention relates to apparatus for sealing and ejecting mail matter from a mail treating machine.

One of the objects of this invention'is to provide envelope ejecting apparatus for a mail treating machine which is Simple and Sturdy in construction and capable of eflicient operation at a high rate of speed. Another object is to provide apparatus of the above nature capable of efl'ioiently handling envelopes and cards of various widths,

lengths, and thicknesses, without mutilation thereof. Another object is to provide apparatus of the above nature which can be safely operated at high speed in ejecting mail matter atthe delivery end of the machine. Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter,

This application is a division of the application of Commodore D. Ryan, Serial No, 462,262, filed October 16, 1942, now Patent No. 2,389,551, issue of Nov. 20, 1945, which is a division of the applicationof Commodore D. Ryan, Serial No. 421,321, filed December 2, 1941, which was a division of the application of Frank P. Sager, Ernest R. Bergmark, Commodore D, Ryan and Herschel L.- Atherton, Serial No. 332,305, filed April 29, 1940, said in the structure to be hereinafter described and m the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the drawings, in which there is shown one embodiment of the invention,

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the mail treating machine; a

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmental sectional elevation showing the envelope conveyor and the ejectin device at the delivery end thereof; 1

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmental sectional Patent No.

to Figure 3 illustrating the manner in which the pressure roller is automatically released to swing to its retracted position when the tape feeding device is moved to its operative feeding position.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawmgs,

As shown in Figure 1, the mailing machine is provided with a conveyor table I65 which is spaced a short distance from the intermediate frame plate IBI ofthe machine in order to provide space for the depending flaps of the envelopes conveyed by the conveying mechanism when the envelopes are to be sealed.

An envelope feeding hopper I5I is arranged adjacent the left-hand end of conveyor table I65 and beneath the hopper is a metering mechanism generally indicated at 222 (Figure 2) capable of being operated at either one of two difierent speeds. This metering mechanism delivers the envelopes into the conveying system, generally indicated at I53, which may be divided into three different units, namely, metering, conveying, and

ejecting. The conveying system I53 causes the envelope flaps to pass through a moistening device generally indicated at I54, which applies moisture to the'mucilage on the flaps and folds them up against the backs of the envelopes, as described in my Patent 2,372,742, which issued: from my application Serial No. 412,543, a division of my aforesaid application Serial No. 332,305. The description and construction of the metering and view taken generally along the line 3--3 of Figure l to illustrate the relation between the final sealing and ejecting rollers and the printing drum;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line I I of Figure 3; a

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially 'along the line 5-5 of Figure 3, showing the platen roller, its driving shaft and associated parts; and, v I

. Figure 6 is a fragmental sectional view similar conveying units is contained in my Patent 2,302,- 060, while only the ejecting unit is described herein.

The final ejecting portion of the envelope conveyor system I53 receives the envelopes from a hold-down truck mechanism 252 which forms a part of the conveying system and operates to convey the envelopes past the printing drum I5'I of the postage meter I55 (Figure 1) and finally to eject the treated envelopes from the machine. This portion of the envelope conveyor system, which I have referred to as the final ejecting portion of the conveying system, comprises a platen roller mechanism generally indicated at 309 (Figure 2) and a final sealing and ejecting roller device generally indicated at 3I0,

The platen roller mechanism 309 is arranged to automatically maintain the proper pressure against the printing drum I51 of the meter for treating the full range of envelope thicknesses permissible by the capacity of the machine. The platen roller mechanism 309 includes a swing frame 3 I I comprising a front plate SI! and a simi- "passingbetween these two rollers.

lar rear plate (not shown) maintained in spaced frame are pivotally mounted upon pivot shaft 3l6. The swing frame is yieldingly maintained in its normal position of rest by compression spring 3|! acting between a pair of lock nuts 3; carried by push rod 319 and pivot block 326, pivotally supported between the front frame plate I63 of the machineand bracket 32! (Figures 1 and. 2). The upper end of push rod 3l9 (Figure 2) is pivotally connected to the spacer bolt 3| 5, while its lower end is provided with a pair of adjusting nuts 322. A resilient washer 323 is mounted on rod 3l9 between the adjusting nuts and pivot block to cushion the engagements of said adjusting nut against said block when the swing frame 3! l is returned to its raised position;

Referring more particularly to Figure 5, the swing frame is provided with bearings 324 and 325 in which the platen drive shaft 326 is journaled, The platen roller 321 is keyed upon the inner end of shaft 326 by means of a suitable tapered pin 328. An ejector roller 329 is positioned between the front and rear swing frame plates 3l2 and M3 and is mounted on and keyed to shaft 326 by taper pm 333. The platen and ejector rollers may be rubber-tired as shown in the drawings.

When the machine is set for sealing envelopes without printing postage thereon, the ejector roller 329 cooperates with a small idler roller 33l (Figure 3) journaled in the printing drum 332 of the meter to convey the envelope past the printing station and to present the envelope to the final sealing and ejecting rollers 3E0- This same action is attained upon completion of the print-- ing operation.

The final sealing and ejecting device 3!!) may include a driven rubber-tired roller 338 carried by shaft 336 journaled in bracket 346 (Figures 1 jandp3) which bracket is suitably fastened to the right side cover plate 34L A driving connection .is formed between the platen driving shaft 326 and roller shaft 333, which driving connection may include providing the step pulley 244 with a belt groove 342 (Figure 5) and a driven pulley 343 (Figure 2) fastened to shaft 339 and connecting these two pulleys by means of belt 343. A

"belt 'tighwning roller (not shown) may be mounted upon the underside of the envelope supporting plate to maintain a sufficient tension in the driving belt 344.

Cooperating with roller 338 are two spring weighted pressure rollers, the first of which may be referred to as the creasing roller 346 (Figure 4) and is relatively narrow in width to engage only the flap edge of the envelope to complete the creasing and'also assist in the sealing of the flap.

.Thesecond pressure roller 341 is of greater width and acts to flrmly press the moistened flap against the body of the envelope to effect the final sealing thereof. This roller organization also operates to eject the treated mail matter from the ma-.

of the roller is of sufficiently reduced diameter to clear said newly printed stamp.

. The creasing roller 346 is swingably mountedv with relation to the main sealing roller 338 to provide for difierent thicknesses of mail matter The means for mounting the creasing roller may include a hinge plate 343 bifurcated at its free end, and the bifurcated portions are bent to form vertical hearing flanges 356. An axle-35l carried by bearing flanges 356 supports the creasing roller 346. The opposite end of swing plate 343 is bent to form a pair of spaced vertical flanges 352 for hingedly mounting'this end of the plate to hinge pin 353, which pin is supported in bracket 354 (Figures 3 and 4) A torsion spring 355 encircles hinge pin 353 and acts between the hinge plate and bracket to yieldingly urge the creasing roller 346 against the sealing roller 338. The innermost of the two bearing flanges 356 is flanged rearwardly to provide a stop lug 356, which lug overhangs an offset portion 351 of bracket 354. Screw-threaded into this portion of the bracket is an adjusting screw 358 against which the stop lug 356 engages to hold said creasing roller in proper clearance relation with respect to said sealing roller. This clearance is just sufficient to hold the creasing roller out of driving engagement with the sealing roller brackets 362 for pivotally mounting the plate to hinge pin 353 in the manner shown in Figures 3 and 4. A torsion spring .363 surrounds hinge pin 353 between the hinge plate flanges 262 and acts betweenthe platejand bracket 354' to yieldingly urge roller 343'toward the main sealing roller 338. Roller 341 is maintained in the same clearance relation with respect to the main sealing roller 333 as described for the creasing roller 346 byproviding the hinge plate 353 with an olTset lug 364 overlying so as to rest upon the upper surface of the creasing roller hinge plate 349. The offset lug 3640f swing plate'359doe's not prevent roller 341 from beinglifted due to irregularities of the mail matter independently of the creasing roller 346.

The" mail treating machine shown in Figure 1 may be adjusted to print postage indicia upon gummed tape, and whenso adjusted it is de- 7 sirable to automatically retract the creasing and pressure rollers 346 and 341' to a position as shown by broken lines in, Figure 6- For this purpose bracket 354 is. hinged tothe supporting bracket 346 by pin 365. A latch member 366 pivotally mounted upon bracket 354 by hinge pin-361 is provided with a' latch notch 368 (Figures 3 and 6) engaging alatch plate 369 securely fastened upon the inner face of the main supporting bracket 346. In order to yieldingly maintain the latch member in latching relation With plate 369, a compression spring 310 is interposed between the latch finger 3H and a'suitable bore formed in the main supporting bracket 34!). The latch member is notched as'shown at 312 in Figure 6, and a stop pin 313 carried by.

bracket v354 cooperates with notch 312 to limit the swinging motion in either direction of latch member 366. The latch member 366 is utilized to support a guide plate 314' which operates to guide the envelopes orother mailmatter from the platen and ejector rollers t0 thefinal. sealing roller assembly. 'The guide plate 314 is'preferably formed as shown in Figures 3, 4, and v6. A retracting spring 3115 is mounted within a hole 315 drilled intobracket member 3542 (Figures 3 and. 6). The end of spring 315 whichengages the inner end of bore 316 is enlarged to frlc tionally bind the spring within said bore while the free end of the spring extends ashort distance beyond bracket 35'4 t'oen'gage the main supporting bracket 340 when bracket 354 mm its latched position and acts upon release of latch member 366 to supply the force necessary to swing bracket'member 354 to'lts retracted position as shown in'broken lines in Figurefi. In this figure ,the. freelend '315a of-a retracting spring 315 may be seen ,1 projecting'from bracket member 354 when swung to its retracted posi- The creasing pressure .zrollers 346 and 341 ,(Figure 4) are manually returned to-their'no'rmal operative position, but may be tripped automatically to swing to their retracted position upon removal of the meter or when'sh'ifting the tape feeding device from its non-printing to its printing position in a manner described in the application of Frank'P. Sager 'et a1. Serial No. 332,305, filed April 29, 1940.

When the final sealing and ejecting device 3"! (Figure 1) is in its normal operating'position and the machine is set for treating mail matter, a receiving hopper 311 may be attached to end plate 3 of the machine to receive the envelopes or other mail matter as they are ejected from the final sealing and ejector rollers 3H1.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention, and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth, or shown in the accompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a mail treating machine wherein envelopes are conveyed along a horizontal table to and through a moistening device and to a final sealing and ejecting device which ejects the envelopes in generally horizontal direction into a receiving hopper, said sealing and ejecting device comprising, in combination, upper and lower elements arranged above and below the path of travel of the envelopes for receiving the envelopes from said moistening device and ejecting them into said hopper, one of said elements including a pair of spaced, unconnected rollers having their axes arranged transversely of the path of travel of the envelopes, one of said rollers being so positioned relative to said path of travel as to bear against the crease at the top of the envelope and the other of said rollers being so positioned as to bear against the body of the envelope, and means for driving at least one of said elements.

2. In a mail treating machine wherein envelopes are conveyed along a horizontal table to and through a moistening device and to a final sealing and ejecting device which ejects the envelopes in generally horizontal direction into a receiving hopper, said sealing and ejecting device comprising, in combination, upper and lower elements arranged above and below the path of travel of the envelopes for receiving the envelopes from said moistening device and ejecting them into said hopper, one'of said elements including a pair of spaced, unconnected rollers having their axes arranged transversely of the path of travel of the envelopes, one of said rollers being so positioned relative to said path of travel as to bear against the crease at the top of the envelope and the other of said rollers being so positioned as to bear against the body of the and through a moistening device and to a final sealing and ejecting device which ejectstheenvelopes in generally horizontal direction into a receiving hopper, said sealing and ejecting device comprising, in combination, upper and lower elements arranged above and below the path of travel of the envelopes for receiving the envelopes from said moistening device and-ejecting them=into said hopper, one of said-elements including a pair of separated normally coaxially arranged'rollers, means mounting said-rollers for individual movement toward'and away from the other ofsaid elements, one of said rollers being so positioned relative to said path of travelas to bear against the crease at the tOp' ofthe envelope and the -other of said rollers being so positioned'as to bear against the envelope flapto press it against the body of the envelope, and

means for driving at least one of said elements.

4. In a mail treating machine wherein envelopes are conveyed along a horizontaltableto and through a moistening device and to a final sealing and ejecting device which ejects the envelopes in generally horizontal direction into a receiving hopper, said sealing and ejecting device comprising, in combination, upper and lower elements arranged above and below the path of travel of the envelopes for receiving the envelopes from said moistening device and ejectin them into said hopper, one of said elements including a pair of separated normally coaxially arranged rollers, means mounting said rollers for individual movement toward and away from the other of said elements, one of said rollers being so positioned relative to said path of travel as to bear against the crease at the top of the envelope and the other of said rollers being so positioned as to bear against the envelope flap to press it against the body of the envelope, spring means associated with said roller mounting means for biasing said rollers toward the other of said elements, and means for driving at least one of said elements.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the 'roller mounting means includes a pair of indi vidually movable parts, one of said parts including a portion extending over the other of said parts whereby movement of the latter part away from the other of said elements causes similar movement of said one part, movement of said one part away from the other of said elements however leaving the other of said parts undisturbed. V

6. In a mail treating machine wherein envelopes are conveyed along a horizontal table to and through a printing mechanism to a final sealing and ejecting device, which ejects the envelopes in generally horizontal direction into a receiving hopper, said sealing and ejecting device comprising, in combination, upper and lower elements arranged above and below the path of travel of the envelopes for receiving the envelopes from said printing mechanism and ejecting them into said hopper, one of said elements including a pair of rollers having their axes arranged transversely of the path of travel of the envelopes, one of said rollers being so positioned relative to said path of travel as to bear against the crease at the top of the envelope and the other "of said rollers being so. positioned as to bear against the. body of the envelope, one of said rollers including a reduced portion which is positioned adjacent to the path along which the printed portion of the envelope passes during its movement betweensaid elements, and means for driving at least one of said elements. 7

7. Ina mail treating machine wherein envelopes, are conveyed along a horizontal stable to and through a moistening device and to a final sealing and ejecting device-which ejects the envelopes in generally horizontal direction into a receiving hopper, said sealing and ejecting device comprising,in combination, upper and lower-elements arranged above and below the path of travel of the envelopes for receiving the envelopes from said moistening device and ejecting them intov saiyzlhopper, the axisof said upper roller portion so positioned relative to said'path of travel as to bear againstthe envelope flap to press it against the body of the envelope, and" means for driving one of said roller means.

8,111 a, mailtreating machine wherein envelopes are conveyed along {a horizontal 'table' to and through a printing mechanism to a final sealing and ejecting device which ejects the envelopesinv generally horizontal direction into a receiv ing hopper, said sealing andejeotingdevice comprising, in combination, [upper and lower elements arrangedabove and below the path of travel of the envelopes for receiving the envelopes f rom said printing mechanism and ejecting portion so positioned. relative to said path" of travel as to bear against the crease at'the top of the envelope, said upper roller means" also including a portion so positioned relative to said path of travel as to-bear' against the envelope .flap to press it against thebody of the, envelope,

said roller means also including-between said two portions a reduced portion so positionedthat the printed matter on the envelope passes thereunder without being. engaged by said roller 

